THE arrears of municipal councils nationwide stands at $79.8million, with the Nausori Town Council accumulating arrears of $5.1million.
The remark was made by Assistant Finance Minister Esrom Immanuel in Parliament during the debate on the Consolidated Review Report of the Nausori Town Council’s 2016-2018 annual reports this week.
Mr Immanuel said the figure was quite a large figure for a small municipality.
“And the majority of the default rate arrears are residential owners,” he said.
“One of the other issues is the capability and capacity issue at the Nausori Town Council, that is to deliver on their mandated roles, functions and responsibilities.
“This is a major concern due to the current state of its financial affairs. The Government is doing its part. It has assisted Nausori Town Council from 2021 to 2025 with a total budget allocation of approximately $2.8 million to assist the council.”
Mr Immanuel said the Finance Ministry remains committed to ensuring that the council utilises its budgetary allocation efficiently and effectively.
“Particularly in areas of importance such as waste management, infrastructure, service delivery and disaster recovery.”
